Top Five Director-Actor Collaborations
Don't matter which is in front of the camera and which is behind it- when their names appear on the poster, everyone sprints to the movie theaters to watch them get together again! Partnerships in such a difficult business is difficult as it is, but these director-actor pairs shine together as much as they do apart. For this list, I'm listing some of the most notable collaborations in flim history between an actor and a director. To make it clear, each collaboration must have at least three films to its credit. However, the exact role for the actor can be varied- from cameos to leading performer. Number 5: Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock These two defined the classic film era! Jimmy Stewart's everyday man approach to acting and screen portrayal worked magnificently with Hitchcock's mind-boggling plot twists in writing. The two first collaborated with Rope in 1948, but the pair completely defined the 50's! Rear Window, widely regarded as one of Hitchcock's many masterpieces, showed Stewart's raw acting ability to portray a man dealing with his own repressed desires, and Vertigo became a classic- even if it initially received mixed reviews and poor box office reception. These two showed just how much raw talent and ability could do, both in every scene and behind the scenes. Number 4: The Coen Brothers and John Goodman The Coen Brothers have a long list of collaborators- from iconic partnerships with Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski or several collaborations with George Clooney- but their good friend John Goodman has come along with them for almost every ride. The veteran actor appeared in his first Coen flick in their sophmore effort Raising Arizona, which opened to mixed reviews but has now aged like a fine wine. From then on, you could spot Goodman in most of the Coen Brothers' films- from major roles like a crazy Vietnam vet sidekick in The Big Lebowski to a small appearance in their adaption of The Odyssey known as O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Hell, these two modern day masters have been known to write entire parts for their longtime friend and partner, such as Charlie Meadows in the 1991 period piece Barton Fink. When these three gets together, you're not sure if you'll be laughing or crying at the end- and that's a good thing! Number 3: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Like the Coen brothers, Tim Burton has had several notable partners- he dominated the 1980's with Michael Keaton and films like Batman, and Helena Bonham Carter has been his leading lady since Planet of the Apes. But little to none can rival the chemistry between the gothic director and his primary leading man, the eccentric Johnny Depp. Through good and bad, Depp's own dramatic twist and darkness perfectly compliment Burton's writing and style- shown best in the 1990's through hits like Ed Wood and worst in the 2000's with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Though Depp's glory days seem to be gone, we're waiting for the day Burton calls up his old buddy to make another movie- whether it's a deeply emotional and compelling story like Edward Scissorhands or a macabre masterpiece like Corpse Bride. Number 2: Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson Swearing, over-the-top antics, and violence- Tarantino and Jackson go together like bread and butter. Like many directors on this list, Tarantion has had multiple partners- from the German actor that he goes to for Oscars Christoph Waltz to his leading actress and "muse" Uma Thurman- but little to none can keep up with his rage-filled passion like Samuel L. "Motherfuckin'" Jackson. The duo first got together for Pulp Fiction, which has been regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, and many cite Jackson's amazing performance as Jules Winfield a reason so. From then on, the duo has been hard to separate- from bit cameos in Kill Bill Vol. 1" to a notorious supporting role in ''Django Unchained. '' Honorable Mentions *David Fincher and Brad Pitt- Se7en, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button *Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune- Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood *Werner Kerzog and Klaus Kinski- Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcerraldo, Nosferatu the Vampyre *Christopher Nolan and Michael Caine- Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige *Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck- Dogma, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Stroke Back *Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke- The Newton Boys, Before trilogy, Boyhood *Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe- Gladiator, American Gangster, Body of Lies Number 1: Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro While Scorsese has found a new muse in terms of Leonardo DiCaprio, back in their heyday Scorsese rocked the world with best friend Robert De Niro. While their collaboration may not as large as others on this list, it is without a doubt the most critically acclaimed. After all, the duo entered the world together with Mean Streets, then the film Taxi Driver got the entire world talking about them- maybe to them if they got lucky. The 1980's were even more successful for the duo- Raging Bull got De Niro his first Oscar for Best Actor, while The King of Comedy showed both De Niro's range and Scorsese's ability to take on other subject matters. Goodfellas debuted their partnership in the 1990's, and many have cited it as Scorsese's greatest film, and Cape Fear brought the two classics stars with fellow decade-defining actor of the 1970's Al Pacino. DiCaprio and Scorsese may be defining Hollywood now, but these two practically created modern Hollywood! Category:Top Five